4 ms·

Patients On Hookworm Therapy Swear By Treatment

13 points by ph0rque 17y ago

tptacek 17y ago
Imagine that. People who have voluntarily infested themselves with parasites are inclined to justify that decision to the press. I am shocked.
jnorthrop 17y ago
And in related anecdotal news... Arthritis Patients Swear By New Laser Treatment http://www.thebostonchannel.com/health/4050529/detail.html http://www.thebostonchannel.com/health/4050529/detail.html The Weed that Cancer Patients Swear by http://www.naturalbuy.com/the-weed-that-cancer-patients-swear-by/ http://www.naturalbuy.com/the-weed-that-cancer-patients-swea... Acupuncture popularity soars despite thin evidence http://www.santafenewmexican.com/HealthandScience/Acupuncture--popularity-soars-despite-thin-evidence http://www.santafenewmexican.com/HealthandScience/Acupunctur...
coglethorpe 17y ago
"Scots said he experienced some itching where the band aid was, which he understood, was the larvae making their way into the blood stream. What happens next is the hookworms then travel from the blood stream into the lungs, where once there, causes the patient to naturally cough. Patients then cough the microscopic helminthes up into the throat, then swallow them, and this is how hookworms get to the intestines, where they latch on, and they begin to mature." That was actually kind of cool to read. Parasites hack their way into our bodies.
r7000 17y ago
You might not be able to tell from this particular article but this is being seriously studied: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helminthic_therapy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helminthic_therapy http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17123987 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17123987 http://news-releases.uiowa.edu/2004/may/052104worms.html http://news-releases.uiowa.edu/2004/may/052104worms.html I believe they use worms that cannot permanently "infest" hosts.. they have to be reintroduced on a regular schedule.
joshwa 17y ago
A study of the use of porcine whipworm eggs to treat Crohn's resulted in my all-time favorite headline: "Diet of worms can cure bowel disease" http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn4852-diet-of-worms-can-cure-bowel-disease.html http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn4852-diet-of-worms-can... (for those who don't remember their AP Euro: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diet_of_Worms http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diet_of_Worms ) study link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15591509 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15591509
wozer 17y ago
A Kuro5hin classic about the subject: http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2006/4/30/91945/8971 http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2006/4/30/91945/8971

13 points by ph0rque 17y ago

Imagine that. People who have voluntarily infested themselves with parasites are inclined to justify that decision to the press. I am shocked.

jnorthrop 17y ago

And in related anecdotal news... Arthritis Patients Swear By New Laser Treatment http://www.thebostonchannel.com/health/4050529/detail.html http://www.thebostonchannel.com/health/4050529/detail.html The Weed that Cancer Patients Swear by http://www.naturalbuy.com/the-weed-that-cancer-patients-swear-by/ http://www.naturalbuy.com/the-weed-that-cancer-patients-swea... Acupuncture popularity soars despite thin evidence http://www.santafenewmexican.com/HealthandScience/Acupuncture--popularity-soars-despite-thin-evidence http://www.santafenewmexican.com/HealthandScience/Acupunctur...

coglethorpe 17y ago

"Scots said he experienced some itching where the band aid was, which he understood, was the larvae making their way into the blood stream. What happens next is the hookworms then travel from the blood stream into the lungs, where once there, causes the patient to naturally cough. Patients then cough the microscopic helminthes up into the throat, then swallow them, and this is how hookworms get to the intestines, where they latch on, and they begin to mature." That was actually kind of cool to read. Parasites hack their way into our bodies.

r7000 17y ago

You might not be able to tell from this particular article but this is being seriously studied: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helminthic_therapy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helminthic_therapy http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17123987 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17123987 http://news-releases.uiowa.edu/2004/may/052104worms.html http://news-releases.uiowa.edu/2004/may/052104worms.html I believe they use worms that cannot permanently "infest" hosts.. they have to be reintroduced on a regular schedule.

joshwa 17y ago

A study of the use of porcine whipworm eggs to treat Crohn's resulted in my all-time favorite headline: "Diet of worms can cure bowel disease" http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn4852-diet-of-worms-can-cure-bowel-disease.html http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn4852-diet-of-worms-can... (for those who don't remember their AP Euro: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diet_of_Worms http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diet_of_Worms ) study link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15591509 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15591509

wozer 17y ago

A Kuro5hin classic about the subject: http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2006/4/30/91945/8971 http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2006/4/30/91945/8971